Adrian Zero was lying down on his stomach, his shirt off and a beautiful woman with a dark complexion was sitting on his back rubbing at his sore muscles.
"You're so tense, Zero. Problems at work?" She said with mirth in her voice.
"When are there never any problems at work?" Zero said with a smile.
"Heard you got a promotion today?" she asked curiously.
"Is that the talk of the town?"
"It's not every day that one of Azkadellia's most trusted generals is killed."
"I just hope I don't end up the same." He said as he moaned, as she rubbed at a particularly tight muscle in his back.
This was the game they played every week. They talked about his work; she worked away his tense muscles as they talked. When his hour was up, he paid his tab and left, nothing more, nothing less. They had been doing this for years, and no one was the wiser what really went on in this room. She always knew he went through the motions to protect his reputation, but her experience told her, that this man was not partial to the ways of the feminine persuasion. He always paid for his time so what when on between them stayed within these walls.
Suddenly there was pounding on the door. Zero cursed as the woman got off him and he got up to answer calling out as he walked, "It better be important!" Zero opened the door and peered out to see a Longcoat.
"I'm sorry for the interruption, Zero, but we got urgent news from the Sorceress," said the young Longcoat, almost fearful.
"Yes?" Zero said not hiding the annoyance in his voice.
"She's here." That picked up Zero's interest.
"In the city?" he said quickly.
"Yes, the Sorceress got news that she's on her way to see the Mystic Man." Zero cursed under his breath again. At least they knew where she was heading this time.
"I'll be right out." he said as he closed the door and turned to the woman.
"Sorry darlin', I'm going to have to cut tonight short."
"I know, work calls." the woman said with a smile as she moved to kiss him on the cheek. "Don't let them work you to hard; I don't think my poor fingers can take another session like that one." She said with humor in her voice.
Zero smiled at her as he started to redress himself. He pulled out some money out of his pocket and handed it to her.
"You didn't get your full time, hun, you shouldn't..." he went to kiss her cheek this time.
"Keep it."
"See you next week?"
"Only If I survive this one." Zero said as he left.
'So she is off to see the Mystic Man that means she should be heading to the Twister club.' Zero thought as he started to round up eight of his best men and headed over to the Club.
He got to the entrance of the club, and then, he felt something. Like someone was watching him. He turned for a second, scanning the area, but noticing nothing out of the ordinary. He felt a chill run over him, something familiar was there. He looked for a second longer before telling two of his men to cover the back. Still not finding what he was feeling, he presided into the club with the six remaining men.
He walked into the club, and he could tell from the people who saw him, that they were worried. It's not every day that one of the Sorceress's most trusted generals shows up. He loved the fear that people got from watching him. He drank it up like wine. He had such power over people and over the years, he had come to love it.
"Lock this place down," He barked out. "They don't leave." He had reports that she was traveling with three men. An unknown viewer, a basket case, and an ex-tin man, most likely resistance but besides this, he had no other information. But hopefully before this night was through, he had four prisoners in hand and one happy Sorceress. It was always best to keep her happy, no matter what it took. He turned to a few of his men.
"Check upstairs." he barked again as three of the men went up stairs as he made his way down to the main floor. He started to ask around if anyone had seen the girl. A waitress soon told him that she thought she saw her at Demilo's table.
He just looked the waitress up and down. She did not carry that fear that most people had. How disappointing. He started to walk over to the table, and then slowed when he noticed it was empty. He smiled as he approached it almost admiring the girl. He walked around for a moment, looking to see if she was still in the area. But no, she had vanished.
'Clever girl. But no matter how far you run, I will catch you.' It's been so long since he had a good chase, he was going to enjoy this. But not for too long, or it will be his head on the chopping block instead of hers.
After a few minutes, the rest of his men had come back; Area's clean, but no sign of the girl. He noticed that the men he sent to the back had not returned.
'I guess I found them.' he thought
"Let's head to the back." They followed him as they headed into one of the side doors, leading into the backstage area. His men went in first and Zero was close behind.
He saw a man standing there, looking all kinds of nervous as Zero approached. Guilty conscious perhaps? As he walked closer, the man's arms when up in a surrendering type fashion as he sat down.
"Look man! I have not done anything! There was this guy, all Tin Man like, came barging in here, took out your men. I was being cooperative with your men and told them where the girl was and..."
"The girl is here!" Zero said to him, not caring about the rest of his babbling. The man nodded. He smiled. 'We have her.'
"Down the hall, room number two, she came here to speak to the Mystic Man." The smile faded off of Zero lips.
'Well shit! So much for getting her before that.' Zero thought. He sighed as the anger of the situation got the better of him.
"Go get her!" He ordered his men down the hall. He grabbed the man, from the chair and shoved him up against the wall. He hit him a few times to get his anger out. He heard on of his men hit the floor and he turned just in time to see the rest of them tackle down the Mystic Man.
'Well Hell! Could this day get any worse?' He thought.
"Don't kill him! We need him alive. And someone check the room, she still maybe here." He said as he turn back to the man still in his arms.
"You said another man came in. Took out two of my Longcoats?" The man nodded. That man must have some training to sneak up on his men like that. I need to know more about him.
"What did he look like?" Zero barked.
"Gray coat, and hat, like the old Tin Man uniform."
'So it was the Tin Man.' He knew the location of most of the old Tin Men, but there was still a few unaccounted for. Most who did not take his path, either retired, where killed or joined the resistance and where in hiding because most of them, had bounties on their heads. Yes, he really wanted to know who this man was.
"Anything else, what did he look like."
"Older, I would say early 40's. Had short, light hair, maybe blonde, and bright blue eyes." Zero stiffened at this description. No! It can't be. There was only one Tin Man that fit that description but he was locked away with fear of death to anyone caught releasing him.
Zero stopped for a second, looking to see that he was alone with the man and then reached into his coat pocket. He pulled out a beat up old photo, one that he stole from Cain's cabin a few days after he was locked up. He had visited the man after his forced incarceration, wanting to see him. But soon the visits became less and less. It had been over a year since he made his last visit. The picture was of Cain, in his Tin Man uniform, badge and all, soon after his son was born, if he had to guess.
"Is this the man that was here?" Zero asked hoping against hope that he wasn't out.
"Yes, that's him." Zero's breath hitched at this. He was out and he was helping her. For the first time in a long time, Zero was fearful of something besides his Sorceress.
